I have always enjoyed learning about other cultures.  Whether it is studying about them in books, learning their language, eating their cuisine, traveling, or — best of all — getting to know someone different.  For some time now “fusion cuisine” has been on the rise.  The first type that comes to my mind is “Tex-Mex,” although in Texas we generally just refer to it as Mexican.  Then there’s “authentic Mexican” which is different, of course.  I have found that Tex-Mex varies throughout the state, from Dallas to San Antonio.  Then there is “Asian fusion.”  It’s basically mixing Chinese dishes with Japanese, etc.  There is one Asian fusion restaurant in particular my family and I adore.  I love it so much I took this picture of one of my green onions which was in the shape of a heart.  Our little one is gluten-intolerant and rice can be challenging.  This place makes the BEST fried rice and it is also gluten-free.  In addition, they have great gluten-free soy sauce.  My favorite is fried Jasmine rice with extra green onions and eggs.  For years we have done ourselves a disservice by getting it to go.  It turns out this place has an incredible bar and I have not found a restaurant that makes lycheé martinis since our favorite Indian establishment closed.  Since I nearly always have wine or a cocktail (or two) with dinner, I do not eat dessert.  If one had told me I would love something called sticky rice — that was green no less — I would have said no way.  Turns out it was delicious!  All I know for sure is that it had coconut milk in it.  America herself is a fusion of so many cultures.  Personally I think that’s what makes this county so great and so unique:  all are welcome.  Yotam Ottolenghi, an Israeli-English chef and food writer, has said, “Fusion food as a concept is kind of trying to quite consciously fuse things that are sometimes quite contradictory, sometimes quite far apart, to see if they’d work.”  I do that all the time in my cooking and wind up labeling it as some sort of slumgullion.  It may sometimes look mushy, but, for the most part, my little family has loved it.  I believe the world would be bland if we all stayed within our own culture’s parameters.  So, for me at least, I am up for fusion.